(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Erin, now a Category 2 hurricane , has prompted a state of emergency in North Carolina and is expected to bring dangerous waves and rip currents to beaches along the East Coast.

“To folks on the coast, now is the time to prepare,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein warned on Tuesday.

Here’s the latest forecast:

The Outer Banks

While the storm won’t make landfall on the East Coast, it has triggered a tropical storm warning for North Carolina’s Outer Banks and mandatory evacuations for some Outer Banks residents and visitors.

The Outer Banks is expected to get heavy rain, winds over 40 mph and a storm surge of 2 to 4 feet this week.

A high surf advisory has also been issued, with destructive, large breaking waves up to 20 feet in the forecast.

Coastal dam

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